Get to Know Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Free Tier: Free Cloud for Students, Lecturers, and Startups
For students, research lecturers, or startup players, access to cloud computing infrastructure is often an obstacle due to high costs. However, with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Free Tier , you can take advantage of free cloud services to develop your final project, research, or even your startup MVP (Minimum Viable Product) without spending any money!
What is OCI Free Tier? How to make the most of it? Check out the full explanation below.
What is Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier?
OCI Free Tier is a program from Oracle that provides two types of free cloud services:
- Free Trial:
- Get $300 cloud credit that can be used for 30 days .
- These credits can be used for almost all OCI services, including compute, database, AI/ML, and storage.
- Suitable for short-term experiments, application testing, or prototyping.
- Always Free Resources (Forever Free Services):
- Cloud resources that never expire , as long as your account is active.
- Including:
- 2 Autonomous Databases (automated databases for OLTP or Data Warehouse).
- 2 VM.Standard.E2.1.Micro instances (compute with 1 OCPU and 1 GB RAM).
- 4 OCPUs and 24 GB RAM for OCI Ampere A1 Compute (ARM-based instance).
- Object storage, load balancer, and other basic services.
Vital Records:
- Always Free service is only available in the home region selected during registration.
- Registration requires a phone number and credit card , but the card will not be charged unless you upgrade to a paid account.
Why is OCI Free Tier Suitable for Final Projects, Research, and Startups?
- Free Unlimited for Basic Services
- Autonomous Database and basic computing can be used to build simple web applications, system backends, or research databases.
- Test Drive Advanced Technology with $300 Credit
- Take advantage of 30 days to try premium services like Oracle Cloud AI, Kubernetes, or big data analytics.
- Hassle-Free Scalability
- As your project grows, you can upgrade to a paid account without losing any data or services you’ve created.
- Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure
- OCI is used by large global companies, making it suitable for research that requires high performance.
Step By Step Guide to Getting Started
- Free Tier Account Registration
- Visit the OCI Free Tier website .
- Choose your home region carefully (eg: Singapore, Tokyo, or Frankfurt).
- Use a university or personal email, then verify with a phone number and credit card.
- Take Advantage of the Free Trial ($300)
- Use credits to experiment with advanced services such as:
- Autonomous Database for final project data management.
- OCI Ampere A1 Compute for ARM-based cost-effective computing.
- Oracle Kubernetes Engine (OKE) for container application deployment.
- Use credits to experiment with advanced services such as:
- Switch to Always Free After Trial Ends
- Make sure the number of Ampere A1 Compute OCPUs does not exceed 4 OCPUs and 24 GB RAM .
- Remove paid services before the trial ends if you don’t want to be charged.
What Happens After the 30 Day Trial Ends?
- The account remains active , and the Always Free service can still be used.
- Paid services created with $300 credit will be disabled.
- If you exceed the Always Free limit (eg: 5 OCPU Ampere A1), all instances will be disabled and deleted after 30 days.
Tips:
- Monitor resource usage via OCI Console.
- Backup important data before the trial ends.
How to Upgrade to a Paid Account
If your project is successful and needs more scalability:
- Click Upgrade on the top banner of the OCI Console.
- Choose a Pay As You Go plan (no contract) or contact the Oracle sales team for discounts on monthly/annual plans.
- After the upgrade, all resources remain available.
FAQ for New Users
Q: Will my credit card be charged immediately?
A: No! Credit cards are for verification purposes only. Charges only apply after upgrading to a paid account.
Q: Can I delete an account if I no longer use it?
A: Yes. Follow Oracle’s official guide: Deleting a Free Tier Tenancy .
Q: How is OCI Ampere A1 Compute different from regular VMs?
A: Ampere A1 uses ARM processors, suitable for power-efficient workloads such as web servers or microservices applications.
Conclusion
Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier is the ideal solution for:
- Students who want to build a system for their final project without any cost.
- Research Lecturers who need cloud infrastructure for big data or AI/ML experiments.
- Startups who want to test MVP at minimal cost.
With the combination of Free Trial and Always Free, you can maximize your enterprise-class cloud resources without worrying about costs. Sign up now and start your project today!
Visit Oracle Cloud Free Tier to register, and be sure to select the correct home region . Don’t forget to take advantage of the $300 credit to experiment with the latest technologies!
Keywords: Oracle Cloud Free Tier, free cloud for students, final project with cloud, free cloud services, OCI Always Free.
